Nail set



April 5, 1960 E. D. KENNELL 2,931,041

NAIL SET Filed Jan. 21, 1959 INVENTOR EA RLE a KENNELL HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent NAIL SET Earle D. Kennell, Athens, Pa., assignor to Ingersoll-Rand Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 21, 1959, Serial No. 788,137

Claims. (Cl. 1--49.9)

This invention relates to nail sets such as are used with conventional impact nail drivers or riveters, and it has for its object to provide a novel and improved device of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cheap and highly efiicient nail set composed of fewer and much simpler parts than heretofore.

Still another object is to provide a nail driver accessory of the type specified having novel and improved means for keeping the tool centered on the nail.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description.

The invention provides a two-piece nail set consisting simply of a rod and a self-centering coil spring, which performs, more efficiently, the functions of prior art nail sets composed of at least four parts requiring precision in construction and some care and time in assembling.

The rod constituting one part of my two-piece nail set fits into a standard impact tool or riveter. The coil spring constituting the other part of the nail set surrounds the outer end portion of the rod in a close sliding fit, and, in its normal distended condition, projects beyond the outer end of the rod to form a sheath or receptacle for the head end of a nail, thereby keeping the rod centered on the nail during the driving operation. During the nail driving operation the coil spring is compressed between the work piece and a ledge on the rod until the outer end of the rod reaches the end of the coil spring and drives the head of the nail into the work piece.

The various structural and operational features of the invention are described in connection with a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view showing the nail set connected to the end of an impact tool which is shown in longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the nail set alone, without its nail-centering coil spring; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coil spring itself.

The two-piece nail set shown in the drawing comprises a straight rod 1 of circular cross-section, and a strong compressible coil spring 2.

The inner end -3 of rod 1 fits into the conventional nail driver impact tool or riveter 4 having the usual retaining spring 5 which is adapted to be engaged by a collar 6 on the rod to prevent the latter from flying out of the tool, or from falling out when the tool is not in use.

The coil spring 2 surrounds the outer end portion of rod 1, engaging the peripheral surface of said rod in a close sliding fit, and is restrained only in its inward sliding movement by a circular stop or collar 7 suitably spaced from the outer end of the rod.

The said spring 2. is an elongated cylindrical coil spring the overall diameter of which is uniform throughout. However, a plurality of convolutions at the outer end of the spring, and preferably several convolutions at the inner end of the spring, are wound in close abutting contact, while a plurality of convolutions intermediate the ends of the spring are distended or spread apart in the normal unconfined state of the spring illustrated in Fig. 3. 4

When the coil spring 2 is slid upon the outer end portion. of rod 1 to the limiting position in which the inner end of the spring engages stop 7 on the rod, a plurality (but not all) of the closely-wound abutting convolutions forming the outer end of the spring project out beyond the outer end of rod 1 as shown in Fig. 1, and form, in effect, a cylindrical sheath for receiving the head end of a nail and for guiding said nail as it is driven home by the impact tool.

The outer edge of rod 1 is countersunk at 8 to form a dished seat for the head of the nail to be set. In operation, the head end of the nail is admitted into the cylindrical sheath formed by the outwardly projecting closely-wound convolutions of spring 2, and the head of the nail seated in the dished edge 8 of the rod. The impact tool or riveter 4 is then operated in the usual way, applying hammer strokes to the inner edge of rod 1 to drive the nail home.

When the nail is driven to the point where the outer edge of coil spring 2 strikes the surface of the work piece into which the nail is being driven, the distended convolutions intermediate the ends of spring 2 will start compressing and will continue to compress until the outer end of rod 1 reaches the outer end of spring 2, at which time the head of the nail will be hammered home.

Since some of the closely-wound abutting convolutions forming the outer end of coil spring 2 do not project out beyond the outer end of rod 1, but surround the outer peripheral surface of the rod in the normal distended condition of the spring shown in Fig. 1, these outer closely-wound convolutions of the spring not only guide the driven nail but also guide the outer edge of rod 1 and prevent the latter from tangling with the spring.

Also, the fact that several convolutions at the inner end of spring 2 are wound in close abutting contact enables the said inner end of the spring to engage firmly the stop 7 on red 1.

Although a specific embodiment has been shown and described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A nail set comprising a rod having its inner end shaped for coupling to an impact nail driver, and a coil spring surrounding the outer portion of said rod and extending partly. beyond the outer end of said rod to form a receptacle for the head end of a nail.

2. A nail set comprising a rod having its inner end shaped for coupling to an impact nail driver and its outer edge countersunk to form a dished seat for the head of a nail, and a compressible-coil spring surrounding the outer portion of said rod and partly extending beyond the outer end of said rod to form a receptacle for the head of said nail.

3. A nail set comprising a rod having its inner end formed for coupling to an impact nail driver, a stop member on said rod spaced from the outer end thereof, a cylindrical coil spring surrounding the outer portion of said rod and having its inner end engageablewith said stop member and its outer end reachable beyond the outer end of said rod to receive the head end of a nail, the convolutions of said spring adjacent the outer end thereof being wound in close abutting contact, and certain convolutions of said spring being distended and compressible, said spring being compressible into the space between said stop member and the outer end of said rod.

4. A nail set comprising a rod of circular cross-sec tion having its inner end formed for coupling to an inn pact nail driver and having its outer edge countersunk to receive the head of a nail, a stop member on said rod at a distance from the outer end thereof, an elongated cylindrical coil spring of uniform overall diameter engagingly surrounding said rod and having its inner end engaging said stop member and its outer end extending beyond the outer end of said rod and forming a receptacle for the head end of said nail, the convolutions of said spring adjacent the outer end thereof both on said rod and beyond the outer end of said rod being Wound in closeabutting contact, and certain convolutions intermediate the ends of said spring being distended and compressible, said spring being compressible into the space between said stop member and the outer end of said rod.

5. A nail set comprising a rod of circular cross-section having its inner end formed for coupling to an impact nail driver and having its outer edge countersunk to receive the head of a nail, a circular collar on said rod spaced from the outer end of said rod, an elongated cylindrical coil spring of uniform overall diameter frictionally fitting the outer peripheral surface of said rod having its inner end engaging said collar and its outer end extending out beyond the outer end of said rod and forming a flexible receptacle for the head end of said nail, the convolutions of said spring at the outer and inner ends thereof being Wound in close abutting contact and certain convolutions of said; spring intermediate the ends thereof being distended suificiently to permit said spring to collapse between said collar and the outer end of said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 957,154 Gallinek May 3, 1910 2,272,760 Allen Feb. 10, 1942 2,430,532 Rayburn Nov. 11, 1947 2,671,216 Fox Mar. 9, 1954 2,723,694 Ross Nov. 15. 1955 

